Improvement of Russia-US Relations Not Visible in Mid-term Perspective — Ambassador

Moscow is seeking to restore a full-fledged mutual dialogue, which was in fact scrapped upon Washington’s initiative, Anatoly Antonov said

SAN FRANCISCO, November 5. /TASS/. An improvement of relations between Russia and the United States is not visible in the mid-term perspective, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Saturday.

"We do not see a possible improvement of the Russian-American relations at least in the mid-term perspective under the current diplomatic conditions," he told journalists.

The Russian ambassador said Moscow is seeking to restore a full-fledged mutual dialogue, which was in fact scrapped upon Washington’s initiative.

"We firmly believe that the dialogue between our countries is necessary," Antonov noted. "It is necessary not only in the interests of Russia and the United States, but in the interests of the entire international society."

"Everyone is looking at us, at permanent members of the UN Security Council, two great powers, which are responsible today for the peace on the planet and, in line with the [UN] Charter bear a particular responsibility for the international peace and stability," he said.

"These are not empty words, because we live using these basics since 1945, when the organization of the United Nations was established," Antonov stated. "We are faced with many issues that we can jointly solve in the sphere of the strategic stability, in the sphere of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation, global cyber security and the climate change."

However, according to Antonov’s opinion, "the policy of the current [US] authorities is aimed at ousting Russia from everywhere."

"But it is impossible to delete or cancel Russia. There are problems, including the ones mentioned by me, which cannot be solved without Russia’s participation," the ambassador emphasized.

According to him, the same goes in regard to the US attempts "to isolate China."

"To put it mildly, I should say that it is very naive to think that it is possible to isolate such great power and one and a half billion of people [China’s population]. The same goes for Russia," Antonov added.